CORPIQ in favor of better protection for senior tenants
The Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec (CORPIQ) reacts to the tabling of Bill 65 limiting landlords' right to evict tenants and reinforcing the protection of senior tenants, tabled today by the Minister of Housing, Mme France-Élaine Duranceau. Quebec landlords are fully in agreement with the principles of protecting the rights of seniors, and understand that home support is part of the solution to enabling Quebec seniors to lead healthy independent and social lives.
Tenants aged 65 and over: welcome and appreciated
In Quebec, seniors make up a large proportion of tenants. For example, in 2021, there were almost 395,000 tenant households aged 65 and over, 86% of them living in non-subsidized housing. The safety and health of our tenants is important, and the majority of 65-year-olds have health conditions that allow them to live alone in a dwelling. "People aged 65 and over are welcome tenants and much appreciated by landlords. Age is never a discriminating factor," emphasizes CORPIQ President Éric Sansoucy.
The social safety net is the role of the State
On the other hand, the bill does not address the issue of frail tenants who may represent a danger to themselves or the neighborhood. While an elderly person may be fit to live alone at the start of a tenancy, their physical or mental health may deteriorate over time. When a person is no longer fit to live alone, and major adaptations need to be made to the dwelling, it's up to the government to finance the modifications to the dwelling, or outright offer an alternative such as intermediate resources. Similarly, if the financial situation of elderly tenants no longer enables them to pay their monthly rent, it is also up to the State to ensure that vulnerable people benefit from the necessary financial support. In this sense, it's up to the Quebec government to improve its Allocation-logement program, or to build more subsidized housing.
"CORPIQ hopes that the provincial government will eventually commit to taking charge of seniors who are losing their autonomy or in precarious financial situations. The social safety net is the role of the State, not that of building owners," affirms CORPIQ President Éric Sansoucy.
Housing availability remains an issue
Furthermore, the bill prohibits, for a period of three years, the lessor of a dwelling from evicting the tenant, regardless of age, in order to subdivide the dwelling, substantially enlarge it or change its use in urban centers where the vacancy rate is less than 3%. CORPIQ understands the commendable intentions behind this measure, but stresses that it will not contribute to solving the generalized housing shortage that continues to grow.
[1] Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 census.
